In A Summer Swelter
by nD kS nW
Summary: He still cared to much…after all those years. He was still willing to suffer for the both of them…because he loved her. After A House Is Not a Home. Rory runs. LIT
1. Sexy drunks

AN: This is post "A Home is not a House" Well, actually, I'm writing pre- episode, so I don't know all the details. I might go back and change stuff, I might not. Not sure yet, depends on what happens. Anyway, I'm putting my other story on hold for a while, until I strike some inspiration and know where I want to head with the thing. Otherwise, I will Finnish it. On this here, I struck inspiration, and I had to go with it. I'm work on my spontaneity.

See, someone was going to tape this episode for me, but they didn't. Shock me, shock me; I know. Anyway, I'm hoping to see it soon, if it ever comes on again, and I'll fill in some of the blanks either in flashbacks or in dialogue.

oooooooo

Jose Cuervo was great. He had a little trouble going back, but once he was gone, it felt good. Rory knew this, she found out at least. She knew this; in fact, it was the dominating thought in her mind as she stood in the doorway inside the apartment building in New York City. In her mind, no matter how diluted it was, this was where she needed to be. Sure, he had messed up, but now she had too. He didn't expect her to be perfect; he knew she wasn't. He didn't even want her to be. That's why she found herself in this dingy apartment building in Manhattan on this night. That's why, in her drunken, Jose Cuervo thinned form, Rory Gilmore raised her palm and weakly banged it against Jess Mariano's door.

"Okay…hold on," a voice called from inside. She knew it was late, but he was up. She knew him, he was up. Bolts unbolted, a key turned, and the door opened as far as a golden chain would let it. Upon seeing her standing there, Jess closed the door again. Rory waited as more chains were undone, and the door opened wider. Rory looked down, suddenly ashamed of the smeared mascara and eyeliner on her face and the fact that she had come back to him.

"You messed up," she declared, hiding the slur in he tone.

He leaned against the doorjamb, inhaled, and rolled his eyes. _Are we really doing this again?_

"But, um, so did I," she explained, lifting up her head.

His eyes met hers, and he hesitated for a moment. "Come on," he ordered, opening the door wider. She stumbled in, and for the first time, he noticed she was drunk. "Jesus Rory," he sighed, pulling out a chair and motioning for her to sit.

"Sorry," she muttered weakly, pressing her palms into the plastic of the tabletop. "I didn't mean to…um…"

"It's fine," he snapped. "What happened?"

She looked away, pretending to be interested in his CD collection. He knew she wasn't. "Are you hurt?" he asked, not ready to give up. She shook her head. "I'm guessing you don't want to talk about it?" She nodded, looking back at him. "Why did you come hear?"

"I messed it all up," she started, shakily. "I needed someone to relate to… But, I mean, you didn't-"

"No, I did. Don't sugar coat it," he interrupted. "Doesn't your mother know a little about messing stuff up?"

"I can't talk to her," Rory muttered, shocked that those words even came out of her mouth, knowing they were true.

"How much did you drink?" he asked. She just stared at him. "I know you're drunk." She just shrugged.

"Would it bother you if I hugged you," she asked seriously. In her malleable mind, it seemed logical at the time. "Because I'm really feeling shitty right now," her voice threatened to crack as her head slipped down into her arms.

"Hey," he said, concerned at her actions. Scooting his chair closer to her, he reached out, taking hold of her shoulder. He pulled her to face him, seeing as how their chairs were now caddy-cornered, and he saw her silently crying. He wrapped an arm around her, embarking into and awkward moment. "What do you want to do?" he asked, his face next to hers.

"Do you have any Elton John?" she whispered. He wanted to mock her, shoot her a questioning glance, like he would have four years ago. Now he just nodded.

"What song?"

"Tiny dancer," she muttered, following him into the next room. Something in his eyes softened, remembering easier times.

"_If I have to watch Kate Hudson kill herself again, then we're getting the Indian Food that I like."_

She caught it, and smiled, making him smile. "You're being too good to me," she muttered as the song came on.

"No I'm not."

"You were terrible to me, I was terrible to you. We were even. You don't have to do this," she rambled.

"Not now," he whispered into her ear, stepping closer to her again. Subconsciously, they began to sway to the music together, hands gripping at each other casually, waists, arms, and hands: Friendly stuff, nothing forbidden.

"What are the chances you'll remember any of this tomorrow morning?" he muttered.

She giggled, slipping a little, and, to his demise, he realizes that she was a sexy drunk. "Tomorrow morning…"

"You're staying here," he interrupted. She looked at him questioningly, and he got nervous. "It's well after midnight, clearly you can't go back to…wherever, and I am not letting you pay money to stay at some dump."

"Thank you Jess," she whispered, letting her head rest on his shoulder.

"I'm trying to be a good friend here."

"Very honorable of you."

The song ended, and he stepped away from her. "I'll, uh, be back," he mumbled, stepping into the bathroom. He emerged back not to long after. "You can go wash up if you want. I mean, you don't have to, I'm not making you. You can though."

"Thanks," she said, smiling meekly as she walked past him.

oooooooo

"I can't sleep in your bed Jess," she argued again, slightly less drunk now.

"Sure you can," he insisted, just slip in.

"Where will you sleep?" she asked for the hundredth time.

"Don't worry about it." She looked down, thinking. She mumbled something incoherently. "What?" he asked.

"We could share it," she mumbled again. He just examined the wall behind her head. "We're both adults now. We're not seventeen anymore."

"Rory," he complained, shaking his head and starting to leave the room.

"Either share it or take the bed yourself," she declared, getting up off the bed and walking an equal distance from it as Jess was.

He stared her straight in the eyes, and she matched him glare for glare. He knew she wasn't joking, so he gave in, slipping into the bed as far to the left side as he could. She mimicked his actions, sliding in to the right. She put her hands behind her head, staring up at the ceiling.

"You were right Jess, you did change," she whispered. He rolled over, now facing her cheek. She remained fixated on the gold speckles of his ceiling. "I should have gone with you. I was-"

She stopped, sucking up a few tears that had begun to fall again. "I wouldn't have gone with me either," he interrupted, trying to lighten the mood.

"I was just going to leave Yale anyway," she whispered barely loud enough to hear. His breath caught in his chest when she said that. It was the feeling of a dream dying, even though it wasn't his to kill. She had lost it now, tears silently drifting to find the hollow of her clavicle. Jess softly kissed her temple, and she fell asleep.

It wasn't romantic in the least. It was two best friends, two lost children. Rory thought it was odd that she was here with Jess like this; Jess was never her best friend. He was a good friend, but never someone to tell your secrets too, never someone to depend on. Jess thought it was an odd feeling. It was refreshing and fulfilling to be laying here next to her after all these years. Nothing had happened, nothing was going to. He thought it strange that she had come to him in her breakdown.

oooooooo

"Do you have to leave?" she whispered to his shoulder.

"No."

"Good," her breath hit his shoulder, and it made him smile. "When did you get to be so good at this stuff?"

"Hmm?" he moaned, stretching, but not getting up.

"Sorry I crashed hear like this," she mumbled, noticing that their sides had met in unconsciousness. "I really didn't have a right."

"It's fine," he said firmly, making no move to separate. He watched her for a moment, taking enjoyment in her awkwardness. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Stop smirking like that," she replied. "And no, you don't happen to be at this moment."

"Well then, just let me know," he teased, knowing he'd get a rise out of her.

They stayed like that for a while, neither knowing whether they completely liked the situation, but taking enjoyment in the alien skin.

"Was I drunk?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"Yeah," he replied, taking too much enjoyment in the situation for her taste. "You were."

"Oh," she sighed, making a move to separate them.

"Uncomfortable?"

"Nope," she insisted, not wanting to admit that he could still make her squirm.

"Alright then," he said, scooting closer to her, filling up the gap she had just made.

"Why did you do that?" she asked, attempting to mask the fact that she had scooter over again.

"Do what?" he teased, scooting closer to her.

Now she had two options: roll off the edge of the bed or attempt to climb over him. He had emptied most of the bed, making them share a foot or so on one side. She opted for rolling off the edge. So she did, first pretending to scoot over a third time, and then bracing her body for the fall. Before she had a chance to complain about the fall, Jess piped up. "You so did that on purpose."

Her face clenched up as she disputed her options from this new point. "So what?" she asked.

"I make you nervous," he sang, becoming cocky. She stuck out her tongue, got up, and ran away. "How old are we?" he asked, wandering after her.

"Don't you want to frolic?" she asked, skipping into the kitchen.

"If I were Liberace," he offered. "I don't have coffee." He explained, offering her a red bull.

She opened the fridge, noted that she didn't want to risk putting any of the contents in her mouth, and sat at the table from last night. He sat opposite her. "Um…Jess?"

"Yeah?" he replied, fiddling with the top of his can. She didn't answer, and he looked up.

"I…um, I was wondering if you're offer still stands," she said, cringing as his breathing became quieter and more controlled as if he were forcing himself to do it.

"My offer…"

"Yeah, you know when you came-"

"I know what you mean," he whispered, past her face.

Minutes ticked by, and the two sat in that position, quietly sipping their drinks. Realization washed over Rory.

"Oh my God…Jess. Unless you've got a girlfriend. I'm terrible…that was…that was so presumptuous of me. I mean, just to assume that after a year you'd still be…. I'm terrible," she said, shamefully covering her face with her hands.

"I don't," he admitted, staring down at his hands. "And you can…if you want to."

"I can," she clarified.

"Things are going to have to be different. We can't just pick up…we'll have to start again."

"I know, Jess. I know."

oooooooo

They stood in front of the unopened door in the apartment. It was the second bedroom. With half the rent and utilities, it would be Rory's. "You've never been in here?" she asked critically.

"Once," he answered, turning the knob, "when I viewed the apartment." They watched as the door ricocheted open.

"I like this one better," she grinned, sauntering in.

"Good, because I'm pretty attached to that one."

"But this one's bigger?" she questioned objectively.

"Less cozy. I happen to like being able get books off of the bookshelf without leaving the bed, and I know you'll need the space in here."

"What exactly will I be doing?" she questioned, admiring the view of the side of the next brick wall.

"Dancing," he mocked. Rory's face was horrified. "I've seen you in your room in Star's Hollow. You and Lane, you and your mom," he mocked lightheartedly. The minute the words left his mouth, he knew it had been a mistake. "Sorry. I…I'll dance with you. So…you're stuff…"

"At school," she answered, surprisingly calm.

"We should probably…"

"Yeah," she agreed, leaving him in the room.

oooooooo

"You like your life right?" she asked quietly on the way back from Yale. Yale was beginning to be a taboo landmark for the both of them. Rory, of course, had trouble going back. It reminded her of everything she had done wrong and everything that she had given up. Jess couldn't be at Yale; it reminded him of the night of his mom's wedding, the night that Rory had turned him down. It wasn't surprising that neither of them could stand to be there for long, and the boxes moved quickly. They didn't have a car, and they were forced onto the bus. The two of them had a bit of trouble carrying seven boxes. There weren't that many though; half of Rory's stuff had already been moved to Lorelai's. Rory didn't let this on to Jess. She knew he would convince her to go back and get them.

"It's looking up," he smirked, attempting to lighten the mood. Rory had been overcast ever since they got off the bus in New Haven. "It'll get better." He suspected she was crying again, but he couldn't tell, her face was turned away, looking out the window.

"How long does it take?" she sniffed, turning back to face him.

"A few months," he answered, "but you're better off than I was. It might not take you as long."

"I can do anything I want," she laughed.

"Rory?"

"I have never been able to do anything I want," she said again.

"This is true. We can," he nodded, letting her know that he'd do anything with her. "What do you want to do?"

"We could be beatniks," she acknowledged.

"We could…"

"Do beatniks shower?"

"I've never met one, but I'd say not so much," he hypothesized.

"Oh," she frowned, abandoning the idea. "I'm starting a new life."

"Refreshing isn't it?"

"Yeah, a little. I want to find a favorite restaurant and a bookstore. Oh…I can learn how to cook!" Jess raised his eyebrows. "How about a cool Chinese place?"

"Sounds better," he agreed.

"Yeah. I'll need a job. Tomorrow, I'll find a job," she declared, tucking one leg under her.

"What happened? Why did you leave Yale?" he asked.

She sadly smiled and threaded her arm through his. "Another day Mariano, another day."

oooooooo

I'm looking for something a little angsty here. My other stories are good and happy and that whole bit, but I was looking for something darker. I'm trying to keep this less happy, but they'll have their happy moments. This isn't going to be a Java Junkie. I mean, there will be scenes with Luke and scenes with Lorelai, and probably even some with Lorelai and Luke, but none with just Lorelai and Luke.


	2. Weekend developments

So, here is the next chapter. I'm not feeling very chatty today, so I have nothing to comment on. I'm hoping my older brother will take me to the bookstore tomorrow after the award ceremony at school so that I can buy Please Kill Me.

oooooooo

The noise was deafening. In Star's Hollow, everything had been quiet. Noise pollution was unheard of, far out of the minds of innocent sleepers. Rory rolled over in bed, scowling at the green numbers: 3:28. Her room was pitch black; the building next door blocked any moonlight from her window. She didn't have a lamp, instead reaching for a disposable flashlight she had had the insight to deposit next to her bed. With it, she rummaged through her drawers, finally finding her headphones. After depositing the small music player into the pocket she had sewn onto her pajama bottoms, for this specific reason, she crept towards the kitchen.

Jess slept with his door open, another thing Rory found odd. Such a withdrawn person would want their privacy, would close their door before sleeping, but not Jess. She found the list on the counter. Rory had made a list of every issue, and pinned it to the wall in the kitchen. Gradually, without a word being exchanged, notes had been made on the paper. Jess would scrawl something next to one of Rory's concerns, and Rory would scrawl something next to that. A week later, the writing had stopped, and it was silently agreed that the scrawlings would be the manual to their apartment. Next to the word 'Books,' it was written, in accordance of both parties, that they would be shared.

It took her hours, well into the morning, but he still wasn't up; it was Saturday. She dragged box after box out of her room, carefully adding her books to Jess' already extensive collection. He didn't have a bookshelf, they were just stacked up on top of each other, hiding one half of a wall. When she had done, she put away her music and made more coffee. Already, she had drowned her sleepiness in nearly ten cups, and she new Jess would ostracize her upon finding her 'hidden' coffee stash nearly gone. Smirking to herself, she made the last pot anyway, poured herself a cup, and admired her work. The sun had been up for nearly two and a half hours, making it nearly ten, but still no Jess. She showered and dressed, expecting him to be awake by the time she was done, but he wasn't. Now suddenly depressed, she grabbed the only bowl she could find, which was too big for cereal, and made herself some breakfast.

Twenty minutes later, when Jess made an appearance, he noticed her there on the couch, dressed in a jean skirt and a wife-beater, eating lucky charms, with extra marshmallows, and watching Saturday morning cartoons.

"New clothes?" he asked, leaning his arms on the couch behind her head.

"I went shopping last night when you were gone. I hear it gets hot in New York."

"That it does," he agreed, scrambling over the back and sprawling next to her. "Cross your fingers and maybe the air conditioner wont break this summer." She looked at him, panicked. "Last year was the worst. It was off for a little over a month and a half." He picked a marshmallow out of her bowl. "So, I was thinking about this whole…living together thing," he went on lively, not noticing her moodiness, "you know how when you go swimming and the pool's cold." She sighed, flipping off the TV and fixated a glazed over expression at him. "Well you either jump in quickly or get in little by little. I always jumped in quickly."

"You go swimming?" she asked, pretending not to see his analogy.

"What's wrong?"

"I was intent on reenacting the opening scene to Big Daddy today," she replied snidely, scooping out a spoonful of cereal.

"When you jump in it gets warmer a whole lot faster than when you go in little by little," he sighed.

"Fine, whatever you want."

"Now you're the one who says that they're okay with everything and they never are," he observed.

"I said I'm fine with it," she snapped. "Just keep the majority of your clothes on."

"Because I normally go around in the buff?"

She pulled the list out of her pocket. "I already moved the books. I think we should shop together," she stated, averting her eyes back to him quickly for approval. "For food."

He snatched the list away. "Knock first," he read. "Get a job, write letter to grandma and grandpa." He looked to her for explanation.

"You're reading the wrong side," she whispered, calmer now. She gingerly grabbed his hands, making him turn it over. "That's just a to-do list…for me."

She got up and wandered into her room, which was sparse. All there was was a bed, with some mix-matched sheets, a few pictures, movies, music, and a few other things she had waited until the last minute to pack.

"So what are you doing now?" he asked, innocently following her.

She shrugged. "Explore I guess. I need some hang out spots; I like to have a few places. I should probably get a job; I'll need to buy food, pay rent."

"Need help?"

"Not really," she answered, stuffing a few things into her purse.

"Oh," he breathed, hiding the disappointment in his voice. He failed, because she caught the let down. She turned and stopped on her way out of the room, looking at him but not saying anything.

"We could hang out later…if you want."

"Sounds like a plan," he smirked, being far better at hiding excitement.

"I could bring home some food, or…I guess if you wanted, I mean, you could show me around later. You don't have to or anything," she finished quickly.

"Like my hang out spots?" he mocked.

"Later," she said, ignoring his last comment. "Oh," she pouted, whirling around again. "Key."

"Oh…I, uh," he dug in his pocket, came up empty and proceeded to lead Rory back to his room. "Uh," he said, opening up drawers, finally finding what he was looking for, "here. Make a copy."

"So you'll be here?"

"Guess so."

"Sorry…er, thanks," she cleared her throat, and, after scurrying to the door, she quickly escaped, letting the door close itself after her.

oooooooo

"Are you okay?" he asked from her doorway. He had been watching her for a while. She replied that she was, even though they both knew she wasn't. It had been a week, and Rory had yet to explain what she was doing. She knew it would have to happen soon; Jess was being too good to her not to tell him. "Are you ready?" She nodded. They were silent all the way to the restaurant that he took her to, but she slipped her hand into his, a detail he definitely noticed. It made him feel responsible and worthy. She didn't feel worthy; she felt like a small child, scared of the world and everyone in it. New York was too big, that's what she had always thought. New York was one of the biggest cities in the world, much, much bigger than Star's Hollow…home.

"Um…Jess," she began after the waiter took away their menus.

"Rory."

"Do you still want to know why I'm not at school or at home?"

"Do you want to tell me?"

"I sort of ran away," she admitted.

"You…y, y_ou_ ran away?"

"I was going to move into my grandparent's pool house, because that's what we had agreed on. Well, actually, I might have actually guilted them into it…when I showed up crying there. Then there was my mom," she began to ramble, "standing there, outside the window, looking like I was the biggest mistake she ever made. I tried to smile, but I felt bad. I did, because I was supposed to be the savior of the family. My mom was going to be proud of me, and she was going to say 'Sure, I got pregnant when I was sixteen, but I got Rory. And wow, what a great person she is.' I was going to be a journalist," she finished.

"But why did you leave Yale?" he dared.

"Oh yeah," she whispered, almost laughing at herself, "I left that detail out. It started out with Logan…." She trailed off before looking back at me. "He was my boyfriend but he's gone now. Gone," she emphasized. "No more Logan, not for me; no. See, I'm not good enough for Logan's parents, so his dad offered me an internship at his newspaper. Mitchell Huntzberger, maybe you've heard of him. Apparently I could never make it as a journalist. I would suck. So, naturally, after hearing that all my preparation has been a big waste of time. Yeah," she nodded, "all that time I wasted in highschool. I didn't have to study, I could have been off doing God knows what with you, and we could have had sex at that party, because there was nothing to lose. I wanted to, did you know that? I had told my mom weeks before that I was ready, that I was thinking about 'it.' What was holding me back, what made me stop you was that I couldn't screw up or get pregnant. I had to go to Yale, and make everything good. You cant pregnant if you don't have sex. So I stole a boat."

"You stole a boat?" he questioned, momentarily ignoring the sex tirade.

"And I got arrested. Yeah, I spent time in Jail. Don't tell Taylor. I spaced out through an entire exam, and I just decided. I'm not for Yale; Yale isn't for me. I couldn't be Logan's _girlfriend_ anymore, because I needed new things…new start. I thought I would move back with my mom, but that talk didn't go well. So, I went to my grandparents. I was going to live in their pool house."

"So why are you here?"

"After my mom left- she didn't even talk to me or anything, just stood their with that look on her face- I crumpled. I just left. I stuffed a few changes of clothes in my backpack and made sure I had money and my ATM and I left. I had to take a bus because I hadn't gotten my car back yet. Then I went and bought something to drink…but you know that. It tasted so gross, but I just kept drinking it and drinking it. Then I remembered my mom telling me that Luke had told her that you were living in New York, and I remembered you."

"Me?" he smirked.

"Do you know why you?" she asked. He shook his head. "You were the only one not expecting me to be perfect. It probably would have suited you a lot better if I hadn't been. You probably didn't want to make all those mistakes, I know I didn't. I didn't think I could let you down. Did I?"

"No," he shook his head, as they left the restaurant. Rory's explanation had lasted an hour or so, and the meal had been small. This time Jess took her hand, leading her towards the subway.

"Sorry I screwed everything up like that," she offered.

"No problem. We'll fix it." He continued to smirk as they got on the subway.

"What?"

"You wanted to have sex with me."

"Did I say that out loud?" she asked, embarrassedly, watching her shoes. She knew she did.

"Yeah." Silence.

"Know what?" she ventured.

"Huh?"

"I probably would have too… if it had been somewhere else, and Lane's band wasn't about to go on. But if we had been at my house, and my mom was out of town, or something like that, I…I probably would have." The whole time, she had been matching him, eye for eye, but now she looked down at her lap. He turned to look at her, making her feel severely self conscious. "Please stop looking at me," she sighed, leaning her forehead against the glass of the window.

_sometimes I feel like I'm stuck in this fucking place._

_what better way to put myself in my place?_

_she said: broken hearts are easy to hide._

_broken hearts are easy to ignore._

_see, when you break your heart, nothing really breaks._

_look at me, and look at you:_

_18, and dead - at 16 you were almost dead._

_just sleep with me in my bed,_

_and don't say those things you said._

oooooooo

An: These stupid conclusions are getting harder and harder to write. But yes, school is officially out. I would tell you what grade I'm going to be in, but I'm kind of young, so you might judge me. I'm excited though. I went to Star Wars last night (my stupid parents wouldn't let me go until after exams. Dumb dumbs) and I was raving to my friends the whole time about this new development.


	3. Star Wars Revelations

I'm thinking I'm going to put AGitL on hold for a bit. It started to bore me…and it's starting to sound cheesy. I think I might even reconsider finishing it. I finally saw Star Wars, and it was great! I am a chick, but I am a total Star Wars nerd. I think I'm a little more obsessed than normal. Anyway, happy reading.

oooooooo

"Well Lorelai, where is she?" Emily asked, storming into the diner and tossing her purse to the counter.

"Mom!" Lorelai choked out while struggling to swallow. "What are you doing here?"

"Well you've finally done it Lorelei; you've managed to keep your daughter away from us. Are you happy?"

"Mom-"

"I mean, I shouldn't be surprised, I wouldn't put it past you... really Lorelai! I know that you think you know what is best for that girl, but for once you should let her make her own decisions," Emily continued on, finally beginning to settle down. "Well at least let her come pick up her things would you? She packed them, but the boxes are still in our pool house."

"Are you talking about Rory?"

"No…your other daughter. Of course I'm talking about Rory," Emily spat.

"I don't _have _Rory," Lorelei replied slowly, hatred evident in her tone.

"Well where is she? I know you know, Lorelai."

"No, Mom, I don't know. Wasn't she supposed to live with you?" Lorelai asked, sarcastically.

"You really don't know where she is?" Emily asked again, her voice changing from irate to perplexed.

"Nope," Lorelei concluded again before finishing he coffee and stalking out of the diner. Emily struggled to keep up with her brisk pace.

"Then you might want to know… she left," Emily admitted. Suddenly Lorelai started giggling. She was laughing so hard, to be exact, that she had to stop and catch her breath before continuing on to her house. "Well what on earth could you possibly find amusing?"

"Nothing," she squeaked. They reached the house and Lorelai abruptly stopped on the lawn. "Look Mom, I don't know where she is."

"Well-"

"I don't know!" she screamed, sprinting into her house and locking the door.

oooooooo

_Dear Grandma and Grandpa,_

_I'm sorry if I scared you or worried you, I didn't mean to. I cant stay with you; I guess I better say that up front. I can't take a year off of college to find myself while living there. I can't tell you where I am, because I can't find myself with people looking for me either. Please know that I am safe and warm and have a place to live. I need to do this entirely on my own. This choice was mine. It was in no way influenced by my mother or anyone else, so please don't confront her about it. I'm not in Star's Hollow, so don't go looking for me there. I do plan on going back to school in a year after I've straightened some things out. Please don't worry about me. I'm not running away, and I would like to be able to pick up some of my stuff, if you wouldn't mind. I wish you the best, and I hope that I can see you soon. _

_Love,_

_Rory_

After reading and rereading the letter, Rory carefully folded it and slipped it into the envelope. She addressed the letter to her grandparents, and signed the return address to her mom's. She tucked it in her purse, planning to mail it on her way to work. She got a job a café waiting tables. Her tips were good, and she realized that her appearance was making her money. Jess knew it too, and, for some unexplainable reason, it bothered him.

Their relationship was still somewhat undefined. They spent most of their spare time together, moping around the city. Usually they ordered take out. They mocked themselves as the most boring twenty-something's in New York City. Sometimes they would go to bars and drink, other nights not. Sometimes one of them would leave for hours on end without notifying the other, and sometimes they acted more like a deeply in love couple.

Today Jess was in a bad mood, spending most of the day holed up in his room, doing God knows what. Today Rory was moping, eating too much ice cream and watching too many old movies. She'd taken to making sandwiches, and was prone to buying thins just to make more variations. She made them for herself and Jess, enjoying the simplicity and uniformity of the process it took to create them. Now it was a little after one, and Rory had already watched _Love Story, Shattered Glass, _and was ready to watch _Star Wars: A New Hope. _

The air-conditioner had been broken for four days now.

"Come in," he answered to the gentle knock on his door.

"It's hot," she complained, slipping in through the door, closing in quietly behind her. He didn't say anything, but continued to stare down at the notebook on the floor in front of him. "Come watch Star Wars with me?"

He looked up at her for the first time. "Where have you been?"

"On the couch," she replied, waving her hand over her shoulder, motioning towards the living area. She sat down on the floor across from him, holding out the carton of ice cream she had been eating. "Ice cream?" she offered the spoon to him. She smiled naively, and he took a spoon full. "Please?"

"Please what?"

"I've been lonely," she revealed. "You're always in here."

"Which one?" he asked, switching subjects.

"Number four…Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher. You can't beat that," she laughed, offering him a smile.

"I'm not a big Star Wars fan," he professed, disappearing into the other room. He started the movie, settling into the couch, and she snuggled next to him, resting her head on his chest, feeling somewhat sociable and dejected today.

"What do you do all day in there?" she ventured, not sure if she wanted to know the truth or not.

"I'm not in there all day everyday, you know. I have a job, I go to work," he replied hesitantly. "And nothing."

"Oh."

"What do you do all day out here?" he inquired. His tone was harsh, but his embrace was gentle. She felt at ease.

"I go to work too," she countered. "I watch movies, read, make sandwiches. I'm bored most of the time." She let her focused her attention on him, ignoring the flight of the Millennium Falcon, Luke, and Obi Wan for the moment being. "I miss you," she whispered, barely audible.

His face softened, and he knew that he had been purposefully rejecting her over the last week. "It's storming," he acknowledged after a thunderclap caused her to flinch. She shivered but ignored him. "It's good because the rain cools down the air outside and windows so, even though the air conditioner's off, it's still cool in here," he continued. Finally he had broken under the weight of her silence and indifference. "It's weird now that you're here."

"I got used to it. Why haven't you?" she asked, failing to hide the hurt.

"I never understood why Obi Wan just lets Darth Vader kill him here."

"Don't you want to be happy, Jess?"

"I don't think it's going to be that easy, Rory."

oooooooo

"Emily, I think you better take a look at this," Richard called to his wife. She quickly came, gallantly following his voice.

"What is it Richard?" she inquired curiously.

"Why, it's a letter from Rory."

Silence passed by, until Emily impatiently attempted to catch a glimpse at the message. "Well…what does it say?"

"She says that she's alright, she's safe, and she's found herself a place to live-"

"Oh thank God," Emily began.

"It also says that this decision was not in anyway affiliated with or influenced by Lorelai, that she is not in Star's Hollow, and that she is still planning to return to school next year," he finished.

"It doesn't say where she is?" Emily questioned, stumbling into an outrage.

"Emily, calm down. She didn't tell us because she was afraid we'd go looking for her."

"Well of course we'd go looking for her," Emily declared lewdly, "she's our granddaughter. She's supposed to be here in the pool house, hot…careening out…God knows where."

"I agree, this behavior is simply irresponsible. I would have never expected this from Rory," Richard agreed.

"Are you sure Lorelai had nothing to do with this?" Emily inquired.

"According to the letter, no."

"Rory wouldn't lie?"

"I certainly hope not," Richard vexed.

oooooooo

Jess sighed, rubbing his eyes and glancing at the clock to his left. 2:30. He couldn't sleep, hadn't been able to for some time now, but he couldn't go on like this. Casting his book aside, he leaned over, switching off the lamp. Settling back down into his pillow, he couldn't help contemplating over his behavior. Why couldn't he accept Rory? Why had things been so strained? It should be easy. He loves Rory, and he knows it. Of all the types of love, he didn't know which one they shared, but he knew that he loved her. Maybe they couldn't be together. Maybe it was predestined. Would God do that to innocent people, determine that they should be held miserably apart though only feet from each other. God… that's a tough subject…. As his thoughts wandered, he, strangely enough, didn't find himself getting any more sedated. Rather to the contrary, he was beginning to be exulted, becoming closer and closer to sorting out everything that was clouded. So close, yet so far away. He was interrupted by the creek of his door opening. He didn't look over, knowing who was there –who else? Her timid frame, slunk back, clinging to the door. Because of lack of noise in the apartment, he could here her softly, slowly padding around the bed. He closed his eyes, and felt her close to him, her warmth radiating outwards. She knelt down, resting her arms and chin on the edge of the mattress. When she made no more moves, Jess finally 'woke up,' opening his eyes and speaking.

"What are you doing?"

Surprised by the jolt of his eyelids and the sudden, suffocating sound of his rasping voice, she slunk back, retorting in a whisper. "I….um-"

"Rory?" he asked, slightly thrown by her bemused state.

"I didn't know you were awake…"

He nodded, letting silence slip into cover.

"It's because Obi Wan loved him. I mean, he always did. They were friends, Obi Wan and Darth Vader, they cared about each other. I guess Obi Wan couldn't destroy him, he still cared to much…after all those years. He was still willing to suffer for the both of them…because he loved him," Rory scrambled. Then lowering, her tone to near inaudibility, "At least that's how I see it."

Silently, simultaneously, he rolled over, gripped his fingers around her wrist, and pulled her into him. She lugged herself onto the bed, settling close to him. Laying on her side and drawing Jess into a tight embrace, she rested her chin on his shoulder, and he rested his chin on hers.

"Is it going to be good?" he asked, almost childlike in attitude.

"Yeah, it's going to be good."

oooooooo

"Rory ran away, how was your day?" Lorelai asked, plunking herself at the counter.

Luke looked up, and immediately ran around the counter, grabbing her arm and pulling her into the storage room. "You have got to stop doing that," Luke commanded.

"What are you talking about?" she giggled.

"You come in here, all nonchalantly, and tell me something terrible," he stared at her for a minute, then continued, "what do you mean 'ran away'?"

"First my mother comes in here, ranting about my kidnapping Rory," Lorelai pauses here, letting a shrewd, angry laugh escape her. "So I inform her that I do not _have _Rory, and send her on her way. Frankly, it was disgusting me to even speak to her. You know, she was supposed to help me convince Rory to go back to Yale…they both were." Luke nodded. "So then I get this letter in the mail…"

Lorelai pauses, pulls a crumpled paper out of her purse, and hands it to Luke. "What is this?" he asks, taking it.

"That's the letter."

"It's from Rory," Luke examined, shooting Lorelai a questioning look. "The return address is your place…"

"Well she's not there!" Lorelai exclaimed, almost amused at the situation. "It says all about how she's okay, but she can't tell me where she is, because then I would go looking for her. She needs to 'find' herself and she has things to sort out, which she can't do when people are looking for her. She explains why she didn't stay with my parents."

"She says she's still planning to go back to Yale," Luke stated, reading from the letter.

Lorelai scowled, waving the comment away. "Why won't she tell me where she is?" Lorelai whimpered, for the first time succumbing to the distress her daughter was causing. She stumbled forward, and Luke grabbed her, letting her cry. "Doesn't she trust me?"

"Maybe she… she…" Luke trailed off, unable to provide a fabricated reason for Rory's behavior. He settled for letting Lorelai cling to him crying, knowing that there was no to lessen her load.

oooooooo

Jess rolled over, reaching for the phone. Smiling at the sight of Rory curled up next to him, and reached over her, picking up the receiver. _Who could possible be calling this early?_

"Hey."

Luke.

"Hey."

"How have you been?" Luke asked.

"Um…good," Jess answered, surprised. Luke had only called once or twice before, and they were barley speaking. Things had gotten better between them after Liz' wedding, but everything hadn't been reconciled. The relationship was still strained.

"Good."

"And you?" Jess asked.

"Good."

"Good," Jess concluded. "Why did you call here?" he asked, confused by the sudden interest to bond.

"I was just cleaning out a drawer, and I saw your number. Then I remembered that a friend of mine was having some trouble with family, and I thought it would be good to talk," Luke rambled.

"Who?" Jess poked.

"You don't know them," Luke answered. "You don't know everyone I know."

"Do they live in Star's Hollow? Because, if so, then I know them," Jess snapped.

"I'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone-"

"Who am I going to tell?"

"Lorelai," Luke revealed, lowering his voice.

"Oh," Jess replied, sounding uncomfortable. He looked over at Rory, finding her still sound asleep.

"Do you want to know how?"

"Not particularly."

"Jess…"

"Would it make me uncomfortable?"

"It might," Luke conceded.

"Then I don't want to know."

"Well the crowds starting to pick up…" Luke trailed off. For a moment, Jess smirked, picturing Luke leaning against the counter, making fresh coffee and dealing with Kirk and Taylor's antics. It almost made him miss Star's Hollow…almost.

"Yeah, I've got things I have to deal with here too."

"We should keep in touch," Luke suggested, sounding, just maybe, hopeful.

"Yeah," Jess agreed, looking over at Rory again, who had now began to squirm, waking up, "we should."

oooooooo

So, there's a little plot twist for you. I'm really liking this story, it's easier and more comfortable for me to work with. I would like to write some original fiction too, but I don't know if anyone would read it. Oh well. Anyway, do yall like this story? I'm hoping to continue it.


	4. Unexpectations

Sorry everyone, I've never actually been in a bar. Well, I have, but never in the traditional bar sense. Haha, once I peed in a bar. I was little, like 12, and on vacation somewhere in the smoky mountains, North Carolina I think, and we were at some festival in the town and I had to pee, so my dad took me into this really sketchy bar and I peed. It was a crazy scary place. Anyhoot…. This chapter is going to be a teensy bit long. Just a heads up for you guys.

oooooooo

Jess walked through the apartment, picking up random articles of clothing and other things to be disposed of. After collecting his clothes to be washed and embarking on his way out the door, he saw something move, darting into Rory's room. He let the bag slung over his shoulder topple to the ground and swiftly made his way to Rory's door, now slightly ajar. Expecting to find her asleep, it was nearly two in the morning, an unusual time for laundry, but most convenient for Jess, he was shocked to find her bed neatly made, clothes strewn on the floor, and no Rory. Now, his mind temporarily askew from chores, he sat down, examining what she had done. He had helped her move in, but things had been edgy then, and he had never seen her room lived-in. It was much different from the room in Star's Hollow that he had sneaked a glance at on a forbid occasion. There was no college board; no posters of places dreamed of; no books, they were being shared with his in the living room; and nothing pink, flowery, or fuzzy. Instead, posters of rock bands adorned the walls: The Ramones, The Clash, The White Stripes, Foo Fighters, PJ Harvey, and Queen. Her sheets were a deep mauve and black. The only things reminiscent of her 'past life' were a few pictures: one of her and her mom, one of her mom with Luke at Luke's, one of Lane head banging, one of Paris ranting, and one of her grandparents. Her CD collection had managed to grow, taking shape in a messy heap in one corner. A few magazines were carelessly crumpled on one end of the dresser, and clothes hung half off of hangers in the slightly open closet. Sweater sleeves poked out of mostly-closed drawers, and a change of clothes was draped over a chair in the corner. This new Rory wasn't as neat, wasn't as girly, and wasn't as clean cut. Something about the idea of this new Rory excited me, giving me hope for something.

He was broken from my thoughts and observations by the sound of the key being pulled out of the door while it opened… and shut. Before Jess could escape, Rory was staring at him, touching his arm, and asking him what he was doing. "I…uh," he scrambled, but his mind as elsewhere, "I thought I saw something moving. I didn't want it to get you." Rory cocked her head to the side, staring at him for a moment, and opened her mouth to say something. Instead she, turned away, awkwardly taking off her shoes and kicking them under the bed. She dug through her sheets, frantically flipping them and lifting pillows before finding her treasure, a pair of shorts. She pulled them on under her skirt, and Jess turned away after realizing what she was doing. "Where have you been?" he asked.

"Work," she grunted.

"It's almost three in the morning."

"Yeah. I guess I should be more tired," she laughed, coming up behind me to signify that she was done. "Are you tired?" He shook my head. "Why are you up?"

"I was doing some laundry," he explained, following her to the kitchen and watching as she pulled out Styrofoam boxes. She pulled one out, sniffed it, placed it on the counter. She pulled out another, checked the written date on it, opened it up, considering it's content, and turned to Jess.

"Do you want this?" she asked, displaying a half eaten mushroom burger and some fries.

"If you don't," he shrugged. She handed him the box with another, and put them both in the microwave.

"You were doing laundry in my room?" she ask, half cynically, half jokingly, pulling out a fork and sitting cross-legged on the counter.

"I got sidetracked," he explained, pulling the food out of the microwave and handing it to her. He sat next to her, holding his own box on his lap. "My clothes are still by the door if you want to add anything." She nodded, poking at a meatball. "You don't usually work this late."

"A shift opened up, Jamie's on vacation. I can use a few extra dollars. With luck and good tips I can get thirty dollars an hour," she explained, leaning back.

"You're a waitress?"

"I didn't tell you that?" she asked, surprised at her own lack of compassion. "I'm a waitress."

"I see."

"Don't sound so supportive," she accused, shooting a glare at me.

"I didn't. I mean… I'm not trying-" he stumbled.

She started laughing loudly, jubilantly, and hopped over the counter, dropping her food in the trash and leading the way into the other room. She started straightening things out, stopped, and wielded on me. "Look, I know it's a shitty job," she started, yelling, "and that's what I get for leaving college. I could be doing better; I know that. I'm not proud of myself, I know it wasn't what I was supposed to do, but you're my….. You're supposed to be supporting me!"

Moments passed by before either of us spoke again. Jess sat on the couch, gazing at the wall, and Rory visibly calmed down, eventually ending up in a position near the bookshelf. He broke out of his daze, abruptly jerking towards her. He opened his mouth, closed it, as if considering his words carefully, and opened it again. "I'm your what?" he whispered.

"You're my what? You're my…my. You're…"

"You're boyfriend?"

"I thought that… you and- with the," she rambled. "We were um.."

"We were being _very _friendly," he summed up, staring her down.

"That's one way of looking at it."

"So this is what you want?" he asked, walking over to her, putting a palm near her shoulder.

"This would be it," she laughed nervously.

"Good."

"Good."

"I," she started, averting her eyed to the floor, "um…three AM, sleepy," she murmured, wriggling out of his grasp and tip-toeing towards her room. "Night."

"Night, Rory."

oooooooo

"Just a second," Rory called, pausing the movie she was watching to head for the door. She wondered who it was. No one knew she lived there, so it must be for Jess. Remembering that Jess wouldn't be back until late at night, she prepared to tell the unexpected visitor to come back tomorrow. About to open the door, she paused to look through the peep hole, remembering her mother's lessons in apartment safety that she had received upon her start of Yale.

Meanwhile, outside in the hall, the visitor noted the person's feminine voice, having not known that Jess had a girlfriend.

Rory leaned against the door, tearing herself away from the tiny window into the hall. "Damn," she muttered, not prepared for this. He knocked again, this time growing impatient.

"I know you're home; just let me in."

Hesitantly Rory unlocked the door. By now, her hands were trembling, and she found it difficult to take the chain off the door. Finally, she opened the door, leaning against it for support.

"Luke…hi," she said quickly. Luke opened his mouth, but something caught in his throat. Rory opened the door wider. "So, coming in?" He nodded, stepping into the apartment.

"I'm here to visit Jess," he offered, answering her unasked question.

"Oh. He's not here; did he know you were coming?" she asked. "I mean he is _here_, just not at the moment."

"It was kind of a spur of the moment thing," he answered.

"How's home…how's…"

"She's good," Luke answered. "She's worried about you. She wants you to go back to school. And… she misses you."

Luke looked around, noticing the books. _Jess doesn't have this many books. _The apartment was decent. Nothing to brag about, but decent.

"I…I live here," Rory broke the silence, this time answering Luke's unasked question. "It's a long story. We have time, if you really want to hear it, because Jess won't be back till late. I was going to live with my grandparents; you probably knew that. I couldn't. I just- it didn't feel right."

"So are you two…" he began, motioning towards the rest of the apartment.

"Sort of. Nothing's happened or anything."

At that moment, the door opened, and Jess stumbled in. "Hey Rory," he called, not looking around, "the door was open. You should lock it when you're here alone, you know. Anyway," he went on, "Something happened with the owner so the place is closed today. I guess I…" He trailed off mid turn, seeing Luke and Rory.

"Jess, Luke came to see you," Rory said, staring at him.

Luke turned to Jess expectantly. "I didn't tell you," Jess said awkwardly. "I couldn't, Luke; you have to understand that. If she had wanted people to know she could have told them."

"You didn't tell me that you were living with Rory."

"Luke, don't be mad at him," Rory piped.

"You know what was going on and you knew what it was doing to Lorelai and you didn't tell me!"

"Well, technically Luke-"

"Technically nothing Jess! You say that we should talk more. Now when I tell you that my fiancé's kid ran away shouldn't you tell me that she's living with you?" Luke was enraged now, standing up and waving his arms in the air. Jess was trying to remain calm, but quickly growing impatient. Luke's comment went unnoticed by both men, but it didn't get past Rory.

"You and Mom are getting married?" Rory squeaked.

"Oh man."

"I have to go," Rory yelped, running for the door. Without a word, she was gone, having grabbed simply her purse by the door. Jess stared after her; Luke ran a hand through his hair.

oooooooo

"Does anybody know where my mom is?" Rory asked, frantically running into Luke's.

"Rory, doll, where have you been?" Babette enthused.

"Babette, please, have you seen my mom?"

"Sorry honey, last I saw of her was yesterday."

"Rory?" Lane asked, coming out of the back.

"Lane, thank God, have you seen my mom?" Rory questioned, running to the counter.

"She went home about ten minutes ago," Lane answered, clearing a few plates. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I just have got to get home," Rory called, already on her way out the door.

Rory ran all the way to her house. She found the door unlocked, and ran in without knocking. "Mom!" Rory screeched.

"Rory? Is that you?"

"Mom!"

"Rory," Lorelai yelped, embracing her daughter roughly. "Don't runaway like that. How could you do that?"

"You're going to marry Luke."

"What makes you say that?" Lorelai questioned.

"You didn't tell me."

"And how exactly would you have liked me to reach you? On your mystery phone? By magic mail?" Rory just blushed, not answering. Lorelai, frantic now, grabbed Rory's shoulders. "Who told you?"

"A friend," Rory stated, not being strong enough to reveal to her mother about her living situation.

"Well I didn't tell you…Luke must have." Lorelai paused, considering this thought. "Luke knows where you are."

"Luke does not know where I am," Rory assured her.

"We're not even married and he's already and infidel," she muttered. Lorelai pulled out her cell phone, dialed a number, and waited. "Luke where are you?" she demanded. "…visiting Jess?" Moments of silence

"Mom-" Rory started.

Lorelai jerked her head away from the phone. "Are you living there?" she asked Rory. Then, into the phone, "Is she living there?"

"She's…" Luke began.

"Oh my God," Lorelai groaned, dropping the phone.

oooooooo

"It was terrible," Rory blurted out before Jess could open his mouth. She dropped her bag by the door, crawling next to him on her bed. She leaned her back against the wall, letting her head rest on Jess' shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

"What are you doing in here?" she asked, looking around her room.

"I wanted to make sure I saw you," he replied, fingering a loose thread on the comforter. "I didn't know if you would just come in here and go to bed."

"It's early," she stated questionably, glancing around her looking for a clock, "Five twenty-seven. I'm not going to bed just yet."

"So what happened?"

"Oh," Rory sighed, attempting to bury her face entirely in the crook of Jess' neck. "she did this whole dramatic false faint thing and she got really pale and ghostly. Then she started freaking out and being hysterical. Next came the waterworks: her crying about how she would have preferred I stay with my grandparents. Next she raved about the amount of people I could have gone to besides you. This list, much to her dismay, fell short, and that point was never really proved or elaborated on after that."

"So…when you left…"

"I believe that last stage of the conversation was when I told her that I missed her and that I still wanted to be her best friend. I told her that I loved her and that none of this had anything to do with her and that I wanted to be able to hang out with her like we used to. She told me that in light of my latest decisions about leaving Yale and my current situation and lifestyle with you that she didn't see how our relationship could remain the same after so much has changed. She told me that she had to be the mom, and she has to demonstrate that she does not approve and does not accept the choices I have made." She got up, beginning to pace. "Where's Luke? Is he still here?"

"He left a while ago," Jess replied, getting up in an attempt to calm Rory down. She offered a weak smile. "Come on. I'll buy you a drink."

oooooooo

"It's just a bar, Rory. Come on," Jess laughed, reveling in Rory's innocence and uneasiness in the environment. She nodded, clinging closer to him. They sat at the bar, and Jess ordered two beers. Rory had only been in a bar twice: once with her mother, during her bachelorette party and once on a date that her grandma had made for her at the end of last year. This being the first time that she had actually sat at the bar, Rory found it a whole new experience.

"This is fun," she muttered, staring down at the foaming drink placed in front of her. Jess lifted his glass, taking a few rather large gulps of the beverage; Rory lowered her face to her mug, quietly slurping off the top layer of froth.

An hour passed by. They had each had two or three drinks, not enough to really affect anyone. Suddenly Jess got off his stool and looked around. "Hey, uh, I'll be right back," he hesitated, staring down a hallway behind him. "Is that okay? Will you be alright?" he asked, remembering her earlier uneasiness in the establishment.

She nodded, staring after him as he walked off. Not five minutes had passed before Jess' stool was filled. Rory turned to the man beside her, "This stool is taken."

"Don't look like it to me."

"Well it is," she stated, turning back to her drink.

"Where'd your brother go?" a second man asked, filling in the seat on the other side of her. Suddenly Rory felt uncomfortable, silently wishing that Jess would hurry back from wherever he was.

"No where," she replied forcefully. "My boyfriend will be right back."

"Oh too bad," said the first man, "Miss Pretty here is taken."

"We'll just have to steal her away then, Jet," she second man said, now circumventing Rory entirely, addressing his friend.

"I don't think so," Rory cut in, reminding herself not to panic.

"Hey," Jet began, grabbing Rory's shoulder, "we know of this…thing later. You coming?"

"No," she answered, horrified, shrugging of the hand.

"What? Are we intimidating you?"

"I've already got plans," she informed them.

"Oh yeah? What are you planning on doing?" the man to her right asked, replacing his hand.

"Excuse me," said a familiar voice from behind her, "I'd appreciate it if you would give me my seat back."

Both of the men looked up at Jess. "No," the second man said, matching Jess glare for glare.

"Well then," Jess began, not missing a beat, "I'm going to have to take her now." Simultaneously, Jess grabbed Rory's arm, pulling her up, and removed the foreign hand off of her shoulder. "Get your drink," he whispered to Rory, grabbing his. As they moved to a table in the corner, the two men grinned after them.

A half hour later, Jess, slightly disturbed by Rory's increasingly odd behavior and seemingly lack of drinks, began encouraging Rory to finish her drink. He noticed her strange actions, unlike her usual ways. She was more and more free, less worried about small things she usually kept her mind trained to. That's when Jess remembered the guys crowding Rory, and it all came to.

"I've got to get you out of here," he mumbled, lifting Rory out of her chair, letting her lean on him.

"I'm not done," she moaned.

"We'll come back later."

"But the drinks and the food…shluermeher," she began, but her words rapidly started to slur together.

"Hey man," one of the men from the bar called to Jess, "where you taking her?"

"Home."

"What the hell for?"

"You better shut your damn mouth," Jess threatened, struggling to hold Rory up.

"What?" the man repeated.

"Your lucky I don't beat the living shit out of you."

"Well why don't you?" asked the second man from the bar.

"Busy," Jess replied

"Hey, relax man; she's just a lay."

Before he could stop himself, Jess found his fist in contact with the man's face. In turn, the man stumbled back, examining the fresh blood on his fingers against his face. "_She's not just a lay_," Jess yelled, recoiling.

The bartender looked up. "Get out before I call the cops," he said, maintaining the threat towards Jess.

"Gladly," he spat, leading Rory out the door.

"Jess, Jess," Rory chanted, stupidly. She giggled. "Go ask Alice, Jess. Go…ask…Alice. Jess?" she mumbled, brushing her hands against his face.

TO BE CONTINUED….

oooooooo

Dum duh dum dum duhhhhh.

Okay, I've never done this before. I want to keep on going with this chapter, but I think it's getting too long. I'll start the next chapter right here, though. It'll just be a continuation.


End file.
